Vehicle control apparatuses that are conventionally known use search waves such as millimeter waves when controlling the vehicles equipped with the devices. Specifically, such a vehicle control apparatus transmits millimeter waves over a predetermined angular range around the own vehicle, detects the reflected waves to detect the location of other vehicle, and controls the own vehicle to follow the detected other vehicle.
This type of vehicle control apparatus is disclosed in PTL 1. The vehicle control apparatus disclosed in PTL 1 detects other vehicles traveling in the own lane (the lane which the own vehicle is traveling) and an adjacent lane (a lane adjacent to the own lane), and determines whether other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane has entered the own lane. The vehicle control apparatus disclosed in PTL 1 also determines whether other vehicle traveling in the own lane has departed from the own lane. In this case, when the other vehicle traveling in the own lane moves in a lateral direction and starts a behavior of departing from the own lane, early departure of the other vehicle from the detection range is prompted by reducing the width of detecting the position of the other vehicle. On the other hand, when other vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane moves in a lateral direction to enter the own lane, early entry of the other vehicle into the detection range is prompted by increasing the width of detecting the position of the other vehicle.